Tim Sylvia Vs Ray Mercer: The Final Story

The final chapter of the dramatic story which led to the Mercer Vs. Sylvia match on Saturday was enacted in an astonishing twelve seconds when the forty-eight year old WBO heavyweight world champion Ray Mercer knocked out his opponent Tim Sylvia who is a former UFC champion. Sylvia threw a kick and mercer’s right in retaliation ended the match as the thirty-three year old collapsed into unconsciousness. The match was a controversial one from the beginning- it was originally planned as a boxing match, but the Association of Boxing Commission stepped in and declared the match illegal on the grounds of improper supervision. The match was canceled for a short time but it was rescheduled again on Saturday under MMA Rules.The former boxing champion was expected to be both out of his element and out of shape against the younger, more experienced Sylvia.

But there were those who looked beyond the surface of the facts. Jens Pulver, a close fiend of Sylvia’s , told Cagewriter that he thought Sylvia was making a big mistake in underestimating Mercer. “I think they’re taking this as sparring, and they’re going to find Mercer probably isn’t taking this as a sparring bout,” Pulver said. “I don’t care how old Ray Mercer is, you don’t win a world title unless you can thump. He’s not to be messed with.” he pointed out quite rightly that the two styles are vastly different and even if Ray Mercer is stepping into Sylvia’s arena, it does not necessarily mean that he is at a disadvantage. “It’s a whole different world. People talk about it (like they’re the same sport) but do not confuse the two. Boxing and MMA are two different worlds. You look at someone like a (Floyd) Mayweather or a (Manny) Pacquiao who do that with just the hands, they’re incredible.”

Now the future of the Tim “The MAINEiac” Sylvia is a matter of uncertainty after two consecutive losses to Fedor Emelianenko and Ray Mercer.